The Greatest Gift
by Dracoisalooker76
Summary: After thinking about past Father's Days, Jack looks at the card that Troy got him and realizes that as Troy grows, getting a gift for dad is more of a hassle than anything else, until Troy unintentionally shows Jack that the greatest gift isn't wrapped.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**So, I was reading a Harry Potter Fic about Father's Day and thought up this idea. **

**Oh, and for those who read Invisibility or the two prequels to it, in this story, Troy's mom is named Anne because I wanted there to be a difference between the two characters. Also, when I tried writing Elaine, I thought I would need a Mack and she's not in this or else it could just be another chapter of one of my stories. **

**So I hope you enjoy this!**

**Jack's Gift**

Jack walked down the stairs, shocked by the noise. It was 6 am on a Sunday, but he could have sworn he heard a high pitch scream. He yawned as he entered the kitchen, sitting in his regular chair. He noticed that the chair was a little sticky and looked around the kitchen. His eyes widened.

Food was splattered everywhere. There was pancake mix all over the floor. Orange juice was covering the counter like a table cloth. Fruit had the blades of plastic knives stuck in them with the handles scattered across the room.

"What happened," he asked to no one. It appeared no one was in the room so he walked over to the closet to grab the mop to clean up the mess before his wife woke up. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see his son hiding behind the mop.

"Troy," he asked, laughing at the sight of his 5-year-old trying to hide behind the cleaning tool.

"It exploded," he said.

"What exploded?"

"The blender."

Jack picked up the little boy and set him down on the table. Troy was still in his pajamas (which were now covered with various breakfast items) and looked horribly guilty. "What did Mommy and Daddy say about using the blender?"

"Not to use it."

"Why," Jack pressed.

"Because, I could get hurt."

"And we wouldn't want that would we," Jack said. Troy nodded his head in agreement, making Jack laugh.

"Why were you using the blender?"

"Because, Chad said that he and his mom always make breakfast for his dad on Father's Day and I wanted to too. But Mom wasn't up yet and you get up really early so I decided to do it myself."

"Troy, I don't need-"

"But," Troy tried to interrupt. Jack put a finger to his mouth. "Shh, listen to me."

"Okay," Troy said.

"I don't need a breakfast. I just want you safe and," Jack stopped mid sentence, turning around. He walked to the stove and picked up a pan that had something burnt in it. "Troy..."

"I'm sorry."

Jack sighed and walked back to Troy, kneeling before him to become his height. "Just don't do it again."

"Okay," Troy said. Then he yawned.

"Time to get you back to bed," Jack said. Troy grimaced and his feet started kicking. Jack was ready for a temper tantrum.

"But I don't want to. I want to stay down here with you!"

Jack raised his eyebrow. "You want to help me clean up. That's what I'm doing after you go back to bed." Troy shook his head and Jack smiled. "Come one, lets go little guy."

Troy ran up the stairs and jumped into his bed. Jack didn't argue, you could tell the boy was tired, but Troy still had food all over him and it was getting into the bed. Jack shut the blinds, trying to make there be as little light as possible.

"Good...well, good morning."

"Good morning," Troy said back. Jack turned, ready to shut the door when heard. "Happy Father's Day."

Jack smiled at the memory. It was still very clear to him 13 years later as he sat in the kitchen looking at the card Troy had given him. It wasn't anything special, but what do you expect from a 18-year-old. It was something along the lines of "happy Father's Day, you're a great dad, couldn't image life without you."

Troy had gone out celebrating with his friends. They had graduated the Friday before Father's Day and were getting ready to leave their friends and family for college, even though the summer had just begun. Troy was fulfilling Jack's dream for him, graduating with honors and going to Duke on a basketball scholarship.

Jack opened the card and reread it. "Happy Father's Day, Love Troy." Troy had given him a gift certificate to some sport store to go with the card.

Just then, the front door opened and Troy jogged in, running right past the kitchen. Jack sighed, when had his little boy grown up? Where had the kid that tried to make him breakfast 13 years ago gone?

"He grew up fast didn't he," Anne said sitting beside her husband. Jack nodded putting the card down.

"I can't help but wonder if I, we raised him right."

Anne looked at him. "He's got three best friends in Chad, Zeke and Jason and Gabriella will always be by his side. He knows how to lose and not break down, but keep going. He knows how to win and not be a poor sport. Jack, I think you did a great job."

"What about you?"

"Jack," she said shaking her head. "You know as well as I know everything he learned, he learned because of you. And that's why its so hard for you to see him as anything other than little Troy."

"Yeah," Jack said after thinking for a bit. "I guess you're right."

"I'm always right."

"Well, I know where he got his modesty from," Jack said sarcastically. Anne lightly hit him on the arm before getting up and making some coffee.

"Hey Dad?"

Jack looked up to see Troy standing in the doorway. "Hey how's my little graduate?"

"Good," Troy said smiling. "But, there's something I need you to see."

Jack looked to Anne, who just shrugged unaware of what was happening. Troy was smiling and his trademark blue eyes were shining with excitement. Jack stood following Troy out of the room, Anne not too far behind. Once they were in the living room, Troy handed Jack a red and white scrapbook. Jack flipped through the pages, seeing pictures of Troy and articles about Troy from the newspaper.

"I found a box of old pictures and articles under your bed. I hope you don't mind that I took them."

Jack just smiled. "No, I don't mind. I didn't know you were this creative."

"I'm not, Gabriella helped me. I found a scrapbook of her dad in her room and asked her if she'd help me make one for you. I can tell you, it's hard work."

Jack and Anne shared a look. They knew that Gabriella's father had died in a car accident years before the Montez's had arrived in Albuquerque. Jack kept flipping through the book. On the front of the last page with a picture of Troy, Chad, Jason and Zeke when they were about 10, was a letter. It read:

Dear Dad,

I decided that on your nineteenth Father's Day you needed something a little more special than a lame card and a lousy gift certificate. So, as I raked through my brain for ideas, I thought that this needed to be the best present that I could ever give you. I mean, where would I be without you? I probably wouldn't be going to college on a basketball scholarship and I wouldn't have my good looks.

I was rummaging through you and Mom's room, trying to get ideas, when I found this shoe box under your side of the bed. I looked through it and saw that they were all about me. I was quite touched that you kept ever single article, and I mean every one.

So, when I saw the scrapbook of Gabriella's dad in her room, I knew that I needed to make you a scrapbook with these clippings. She said she'd help me so, tad da, here it is.

As I was looking at the pictures, I was thinking about how many people you touch too. The entire basketball team for one will always remember you. Especially Chad, Zeke and Jason, which is why I put that picture of us on this page. You helped all of us and no matter how hard you tried to hide it, we were your favorites on the team, am I right?

You taught me so much. I hope that someday when I have kids of my own -and Dad, I know right now your eyes are popping out of their sockets, believe me, you're not going to be a grandpa too soon- I'm as good a father as you were to me. Even when I was being a brat or throwing a temper tantrum, you taught me a life lesson.

So, on this Father's Day, I'd like to present this to you. You have been my coach and my mentor, but before any of those things, you were my dad. And even as I go off to college, I'll still be your little wildcat.

Love, Troy

Jack turned the page over and saw that glued on was Troy's acceptance letter to Duke. Troy knew that Jack wanted him to go there since he was little, because Jack himself had attended the university. When Troy got the letter, he had hidden it in his room and opened it up there, so that just in case he didn't get in, Jack didn't know the letter had come.

"So, what do you think," Troy asked.

"Thank you," Jack said. "But..."

Troy's face held worry, as if he had forgotten something or had done something wrong. "Don't worry," Jack said. "It's just, I didn't need something special for Father's Day. I just want you safe."

"But-"

"Troy," Jack said. "I love it, but next time don't feel as if you _need_ to make some thing this elaborate. The greatest gift is having you for a son."

Troy smiled, "you really like it?"

"Yes."

A familiar noise filled the room and Troy lifted his cellphone to his ear. "What? Okay, I'm coming Chad, don't have a heart attack. I'm with my dad, it is Father's Day after all. Alright." He hung up and ran toward the door. "Happy Father's Day, Dad," he yelled before the door slammed behind him.

But, Jack could have cared less if Troy said 'Happy Father's Day.' He was looking at the pictures in the scrapbook. His eyes were transfixed on a picture of Troy and Chad during a game with Jack standing in the background. "Who took this," Jack asked. "I don't remember this being in my box."

"I did," Anne said. "Remember, I go to Troy's games too." She laughed. "I told Troy to put it in."

"So you knew about this and didn't tell me?"

"And ruin the surprise?" She sat down looking at the pictures. "Happy Father's Day, Jack."

**In Troy's letter, it says nineteenth Father's Day. If Troy was born before Father's Day, even though he's only eighteen, Jack would have celebrated nineteen Father's Days with Troy. Just thought I'd clear that up for anyone who didn't get it.**

**So, what do you think of this? I just thought, that on Father's Day, there should be a story in the HSM section about the holiday.**

**Review!**


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